Wire twisting device



Jan- 9, 1940- C. E. BARNETT wIRE TwIsTING DEVICE Filed May l`, 1937 JJM., @amm l Patented Jan. 9, 1940 UNiTED sTArss 2,186,090 WIREITWISTING DEVICE Carleton E.A Barnett, Cambridge, Mass. Application May 1, 1937, Serial No. 140,189

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a wire twisting device or tool especially adapted among other uses to be employed for rmly securing relatively large Stoppers or closure members in fluid tight relation to relatively large containers, such as carboys neck of the carboyl or large bottle and the free end of the retaining. member is passed over the top of the stopper and down through the loop or ring on the neck of the bottle or carboy.

The loop or ring is of larger diameter than the neck of the carboy and the stopper or closure member is usually provided in its upper surface with a groove or channel for rthe reception of the retaining wire.

The present invention Ahas for its object'to provide a tool or device with which the free end of the wire retaining memberand the loop .may be twisted together so as to reduce the diameter of the loop or ring and cause it to be brought under the rim on the neck of the bottle or carboy and in firm engagement with the under side of said rim, while 'at the same time the portion of the wire which is engaged with the stopper is brought firmly in contact therewith and with the circumference of the annular rim on the neck of the carboy, so as to press the stopper intor the mouth of the carboy and mechanically hold and .lock the stopper against accidental disengagement and thus prevent leakage and waste of the contents of the carboy, especially in transit.

The present invention also has for its object to provide a wire twisting tool with which a maximum number of carboys may be effectively sealed or closed fluid tight in a minimum time and with the least possible effort on the part of the operator. i f f These and other features of this invention vwill be hereinafter pointed out in the claims at the end of this specication.y

In the accompanying drawingFig. 1 isla side y elevation of a wire twisting tool embodying this invention, and a sufiicient portionof a `carboy to illustrate the initial relation of the tool to the retaining wire for the stopper or closure member; Fig. 2 representsk the relation .of the retaining vagainst accidental displacement, as represented wire to the carboy and stopper after the retaining wire has been twisted by the tool, which latter is shown in longitudinal section in one of its operative positions; Fig-3 is an enlarged detail of a locking device by means of which the members of 5 the twisting tool are normally unlocked intheir initial position shownin Fig. l, but which may be locked together in such position at the will of the operator, and Fig. i is an endview of the head on the rotatable member of the tool.

Referring to the drawing, Ill represents the nec-k of a carboy or other fluid container,` I2 the annular rim thereon, I 3 the stopper or closure member therefor, and I4 the wire retaining member for the stopper i3. The retaining member I4 is provided at one end with a ring vor loop I5 of greater diameter than the rim I2, which may be made by bending one end of a straight piece of wire into the form of a ring which is closed by twisting the 'bent end of the Wire around the straight portion after the manner represented by I6 in Fig. 1. v' The loop or ring I5 is of larger diameter 'than the rim I2 on the neck I l) ofthe bottle or carboy, so that the ring can easily be-placed on the-neck Hl below the rim i2, and the straight portion of the wire I4 is then bent over the stopper I3 in a grooveor channel I'i in the upper surface of said stop-per, and the free end I8 of the wire I4 is passed through the loop or ring l5, asrepresented in Fig. l.

The free end of the wire I4 and the loop or ring I5 are then twisted together to diminish the diameter of the loop or ring i5 and cause it to hug the neck of the carboy or other container below the annular rrim I2, and at the Sametime cause theportion of the wire i4 which engages the upper surface of the stopper or closure I3, to be drawn down and exert pressure upon the stopper or closure i3 so as to effectively seal the in Fig. 2. Y.

The twisting of the loop or ring I5 andthe free end of the wire lll, may be effected in a minimum time by means of the tool herein shown.` y f The twisting tool herein shown is provided-with a rotatable member which comprises a rod or bar 2l) ynormally angular in cross section and preferably square, which is of suiiicient length to ensure proper twisting of the loop or ring I5 and the free end of the retaining wire I4.

The rodorbar 20 is provided at one end, which ,Y

may be termed its front end, with a twisting nger 22 extended at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bar 25 and of sufficient length to enable it to be extended up through the loop or ring I5 and engage the portion of the wire I4 above the loop or ring, and remain in engagement with both while the rod or bar 2li is rotated to twist the loop or ring and the free end of the wire I4 into the position and relation to the annular rim I2, shown in Fig. 2.

The twisting nger 22 is attached to a hub 23 having a socket into which a cylindrical projection on the front end of the bar is extended and irictionally or 'otherwise secured thereto. The bar between its ends, is twisted so as to provide the bar with helically arranged sides which extend from the hub 23 to near the opposite end of the bar 2t and serve to effect rotation of the bar 2U and its attached ringer 22 in the operation of the tool. The rotatable member or bar 20 has cooperating with it a sleeve or hollow member 3i), which is provided at its front end with a head 3i having a passage or bore of the same shape in cross section as the helical ly twisted portion of the bar 2G and through which the said bar is extended.

'I'he head 3| is provided with a passage or bore which is square at its opposite ends, and the corners of one end of the bore or passage are arranged at an angle to the corners of the other end of the bore or passage as represented in Fig. 4, and the side walls of the bore or passage are shaped to correspond with the shape of the twisted side portions of the bar 25. As a result of this construction and arrangement, longitudinal movement of the sleeve 3i! on the bar 2i] in a straight path, produces rotary movement of the bar 2U and its attached nger 22, and the latter in its rotation twists the loop I5 and the wire Il?, together until the loop I5 and wire Iii have been twisted to such extent as to bring the wire retaining member into its operative position shown in Fig. 2. This arrangement enables the wire retaining member to be twisted in a minimum time and serves toenable a maximum number of carboys to be mechanically sealed in a given time, as it is only necessary ior the operator to press one hand down on the stopper, insert the iinger 22 up through the loop I5 and engage it with the wire I6 as represented in Fig.

-1 and then draw the sleeve Se longitudinally on the bar 2li in the direction of the arrow 3d in Fig. 1, until movement ofthe sleeve is resisted by the engagement of the retaining wire with the rim I2 of the carboy, as shown in Fig. 2.

Provision is made for locking the sleeve 35 to the bar 25 with the sleeve in its normal position with relation to the bar as shown in Fig. l, so that both members may be rotated as a unit, when so desired by the operator.

To this end a locking device which is normally inoperative to lock the sleeve to the bar 20 is provided, so that the sleeve 3E! may be moved lengthwise on the bar 28 as soon as the twisting nger 22 has been engaged with the loop I5 and wire lli as shown in Fig. l. In Fig. 3 one construction of such a locking device is shown, which consists of a plunger or pin slidably mounted in a shell or barrel 36 and provided with a head 31 outside of said barrel. The pin 35 is provided with a collar 38 fast thereon, which is engaged by oneend of a spring 35 whose other end engages the bottom wall 40 of the barrel. The spring 3S is normally expanded and moves the pin 35 so that its inner end is substantially flush with the bottom wall 40 of the barrel and is disengaged from the bar 2U. At such time the collar 38 is engaged with the head 'il of the barrel. The head 4I may be fitted into the barrel 36 so as to resist movement by the spring 39, in its eX- panded position.

The locking device, as above stated, is normally disengaged from the bar 2Q, but may be engaged therewith by the operator pressing upon the head 3'! oi the pin 35, so as to cause the inner end of the pin t'o enter a socket 42 in the bar 20, which socket is located in the bar 20 so as to register with the pin, when the sleeve 3G and bar 26 are in their normal position, shown in Fig. l. When the sleeve 30 is thus locked to the bar 20, they may be moved by the operator as a unit, which enables the loop or ring I5 to have its rear portion adjacent to the twisted portion I6, drawn by the operator under the rim I 2 and into rm engagement with the bottom surface of the said rim. When the loop I5 is thus positioned, the parts of the tool may be turned as a unit as long as the operator presses upon the head 3`I of the pin, and the retaining wire I4 may be manually twisted, or as is preferred, as soon as the loop i5 has been drawn under the rim I2, the pressure upon the head 3T of the pin 35 may be removed and the spring 3i! allowed to withdraw the pin 35 from the socket S2, thus enabling the sleeve 3G to be drawn longitudinally on the bar 20 and twist the retaining wire into its operative position, shown in Fig. 2.

It Will thus be seen, that normally the sleeve 35i is not locked to the bar 25, and as a result, if the loop I5 of the retaining wire is properly positioned under the rim I2 on the neck of the bottle or carboy, the sleeve 3@ may be instantly moved ilongitudinally on the bar 20 by the operator and the retaining wire twisted and brought; into its operative position represented in Fig. 2, which enables a maximum number of carboys to be sealed in a minimum time. If the loop I5 of the retaining wire is not properly positioned under the rin' I2, it may be so positioned by the operator pressing the thumb of the hand which grasps the sleeve 30 upon the head 3l of the pin 35, so as to lock the sleeve 30 to the bar 2li, and then pull upon the sleeve to move the bar 2B locked to it, so as to bring the loop I 5 into its proper position with relation to the rim I2 on the neck of the bottle or carboy, after 'which the operator removes the thumb from the head 3'! of the locking .device and draws the sleeve 3i! lengthwise of the bar 22 to eiect the twisting of the loop and the free. end of the retaining wire, as above described.

It will thus be observed that the locking of the sleeve 30 to the bar 20 may be eiected by the same hand with which t'he sleeve is moved 1ongitudinally which enables the other hand of the operator to be kept in engagement with the retaining wire and the stopper.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. In a wire twisting tool of the character described, in combination, a rotatable bar provided with a twisting finger and with a helical portion.

extended lengthwise of said bar, a sleeve mounted on said bar to move lengthwise thereof, and provided with a head having a passage through which the helical portion of said bar is extended and having walls cooperating with the helical portion of said bar to effect rotation of the latter, said bar having a socket in said helical portion and a locking device carried by said sleeve and a coil spring disposed about said pin operative to 2. In a Wire twisting tool of the character described, in combination, a rotatable bar provided With a twisting finger and with a helical portion extended lengthwise of said bar, a sleeve mountedr on said bar to move lengthwise thereof, and provided With a head having a passage through` which the helical portion of said bar is extended and having Walls cooperating With the helicalh ing device including a pin adapted to `engage saidl rod for preventing rotation of the rod with relaportion of 'said bar to elect rotation of the latter,

said bar having a socket in said helical portionv and a locking device carried by said sleeve and having a pin cooperating with said socket, said pin being enclosed in a hollow bushing fixed in said sleeve, said hollow bushing having a cylin-V drical wall and end walls, said end Walls being provided with openings throughiwhich said pin extends, al collar on said pin disposed within said hollow bushing, a coil spring disposed about the pin Ibetween said collar and the-inner endvvall by the operator.

of `said hollowbbushing, said spring being operativexto normally disengage said pin from said socket vand-*to dispose' said'collai` against the outer end wall of said hollow bushing, and a head on said pin external to said sleeve and capable of l beingoperated' bythe hand of the operatorwhioh grasps said sleeve and effects engagement of said pin with said bar.

3. In a Wire twistingtoollof `the [character de- :scribedl having, in vcombination,a handle anda spiral rod rotatablethroug'h saidv handle upon longitudinal movement of thelatter, and a locktion to the handle when the rod is in its fcornpletely retracted position,` andafjcoil 'spring' dis- -posed about said pin vo .tla'pted to disengage lsaid pin from saidy rod, said locking device being normally 4 disengaged and operative Ato lock said rod to said handle only when' manually engaged CARLETON El BARNE'IT. 

